YouTube announced the expansion of its Playables feature to all users on Tuesday (May 28). This feature offers a collection of games to users of the video streaming service without any download. Playables was first introduced in November 2023 with 30 arcade games offered and available only to YouTube Premium subscribers in select markets until March 28. The Google-owned video streaming platform has rolled out this feature to all its users, offering a collection of free content. games for all users to play without a premium subscription.
YouTube Playables launch begins
In a blog post, YouTube announced that Playables, “a collection of free games you can play directly on the platform,” is expanding to all users across multiple platforms. YouTube users can now access around 75 titles through the Playables section, which no longer requires an active YouTube Premium subscription.
However, it looks like the rollout will be gradual as Gadgets 360 staff were unable to load the Playables section and the site displayed an error when visiting the official URL. Meanwhile, the tab has not yet appeared in the navigation menu of the website, as well as on Android and iOS.
Games on YouTube Playables
YouTube Playables: How to start playing for free
To play free games on YouTube, launch the app on an Android or iOS device or go to the YouTube website on the web. The Playables section is located in the Explore menu. YouTube says Playables currently includes more than 75 games, including “light and entertaining games” such as Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask and Trivia Crack.
YouTube is one of the many video streaming platforms to launch its own collection of games. In November 2021, Netflix introduced games as “a new way to experience entertainment on mobile”. It now has offerings like Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, Stranger Things 3: The Game, and Football Manager 2024 Mobile.
YouTube cracks down on ad blockers
Meanwhile, YouTube is also working to end ad blockers. According to a report, using an ad blocker now forces the video to automatically skip to the end, prohibiting the user from viewing it. Also, if users manage to find a fix for this issue, the audio disappears, it is reported.
The move is part of a “global effort” by the video streaming service to tackle ad blockers, as ads “support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and enable billions to access their favorite content on YouTube,” according to Christopher Lawton, YouTube's communications manager.
